Visual Search / Feature Hierarchy

  
        There are many primary visual feature channels that are apparent in this piece of design work by Juanma Teixido.  Color is a huge visual feature because it visually takes up most of the space of the design work.  Different color hues are contrasted against each other, and the red, being placed in the center, tends to pop out a little more against the competing colors around it.  Spatial grouping is the next thing that comes to mind about this poster because the text is placed towards the top against a neutral backdrop, making it stand out. The rest of the poster is taken up by different geometric colored blocks, drawing your eye to the type as soon as the mind takes in the different colors contrasting with one another.  I think motion is seen in this design because of the patterns and textures inside the blocks of color.  The multiple lines give off a rippling motion of color, and the straight edges used add a nice overall effect to the space.  Depth is important in this because by using different hues and tones of the colors, a shadow effect is given to the design.  I think this design is smart, efficient, and pleasing to the eye, while still having many different visual feature channels prominent.


Designer: Juanma Teixido <http://designreviver.com/inspiration/30-inspiring-poster-designs/>

Visual Perception 1 / Top-Down Visual Processing

This is an image from the well known puzzle book, "I-Spy," that most of us owned and played with as children with friends and family.  This puzzle from "I-Spy" denotes top-down visual processing because it allows us to create a goal in trying to find all the pictures listed in this picture to move on to the next picture, and then so to completing the book.  You first start with the larger concept of the idea here, then work your way down to the finer details in completing your task.  This means we first take the image in as a whole, then focus in on one particular item we must find.  Once we are set on that item, we scan the image consistently and quickly, looking for the image with rapid eye movement.  When we register the item we are looking for, we set a goal to find the next listed item on our list and so on.  Top-down processing is just starting out with the high-concept ideas and then focusing in on the minor and finer details.  I also like this particular image from the book because of its graphic layout, and the glow in the dark overlay they used in the pictures.

Design Success and Failure / Syntactical Guidelines

Success:

This piece of graphic design work succeeds in the fact it has been put to good use by all of the syntactical guidelines.  It is extremely balanced in color and space, with equal proportions of the text squares and hands presented.  It is leveled, with all of it's work in the center as the main focus.  The typography is easy and clear to read, and the white and black text is easy on the eyes against the colored background.  I like the use of color for the text boxes and the contrast with the color against the black hand images.  (http://www.manystuff.org/?p=3294)



Fail:

 This logo for Precision Well & Pump Systems definitely fails as a graphic design. The typography was a horrible choice for it makes everything difficult to read, and the drop shadow used for the raindrop makes it difficult to tell what the image originally was.  The 3D effect used on the text also makes it difficult to read and the letters tend to blend in together.  The blue color used is too dark and does not mesh well used in the gradient tool.  The design is ambiguous, with no real alignment used. (http://logodesignerblog.com/bad-ugly-worst-logo-designs/)

Visual vs Symbolic Language

     In this picture it looks as if there is being a ceremony held of some kind.  The man in front wearing a uniform has a missing hand, and it looks like perhaps a ceremony is being held honoring him and his bravery and strength as a soldier for our country. Perhaps he is being rewarded for all he has done and given up for our country.  Everyone in this picture is smiling, so it tells us that it is likely it is a positive type ceremony being held.  The man hugging the solider is also in tears, so perhaps he was his captain or knew him well, and knew all that the soldier did in battle.

     If I were describing this event to a visual impaired person,  I would tell them that someone lost a hand while fighting for our country and was being honored for it.  I would tell them that the ceremony is representing his strength, courage, and bravery to the world.  I would also mention the American flag hanging in the background and how that is a key symbol for our soldiers today.

Responses or feelings:

Gratitude

Happiness

Courage

Loyalty

Proud

America

Patriotism

Symbols:

Some symbols shown in this picture are the American flag- which denotes freedom, security, pride, and is a well known symbol to all Americans that brings unity to the United States.  Another symbol is the army print on one mans uniform- army print shows he is fighting for our country, could have been in battle, and is loyal to America.

Composition:

I think the composition of this photo holds mixed emotions.  Although it shows a soldier possibly losing his hand in combat, the positing of the two men hugging with tears and smiles on their faces gives the viewer hope, optimism, and positivity.  I think the placement of the flag in the background gives off that it is a certain ceremony, and that the structural height difference of the people behind the main soldier shows that they could be possibly on a podium standing in front of a large crowd.

Meaning 2: Interactions Between the 3 Levels of Meaning

Although a visual communications major, I still find myself interested in the designs of certain products and how their logos are incorporated with them.  I found a link between representational, abstract, and symbols within the Starbucks corporation and their designs.

Representational- This Starbucks coffee cup plays the role of reality to the viewer.  This is a straight representation of a coffee cup because it is what people buy day in and day out at their local coffee shops.  The cardboard cup is standard for coffee and the flat lid with the square whole is known to be the lid of most all coffee cups wherever you go.  It appeals to the viewer because they have experienced using cups like this when they buy/drink their coffee, and they know what this cup is used for even if there was no logo presented.

 Abstract- The black outlines and detail of this images shape lets the viewer know this is a simple version of a coffee cup.  The viewer still understands what this image represents, but knows it is not the reality of a coffee cup they would actually use.  This image shows something that a viewer has not yet first handed experienced yet still understands what the concept of it is.  The outlined coffee cup relates to the other two levels of meaning because it fits right in between what is real and what is just used as a symbol to communicate with.

Symbol - This is the Starbucks logo for the company.  This is a universal world symbol and is known to mean coffee wherever represented.  The symbol shows a woman with a crown and star above it which is featured at every Starbucks globally.  When the viewer sees this symbol, they instantly know it means coffee.  This symbol correlates with the other images posted because they all mean and represent the same product.

Meaning 1-Symbol

The symbol I chose to represent is the "at" sign.  The "at" sign is symbolic because from this one character image, we know it has the same meaning as the word "at."  This symbol is effective because not only can it be seen and recognized, but it can also be reproduced.  We use this "at" symbol in our emails, when taking notes, and to visually display the word "at" differently.  It does not have a great deal of information, but still shows that it represents a word.  The viewer would know what this symbol means for it is commonly seen in our everyday lives, and the "a" in the symbol gives us a great hint for its true definition.

Meaning 1-Abstract

This image of a fish is abstract because it clearly shows us a fish, but is not real enough to be representational yet not simple enough to become a symbol.  It shows us a clear concept of a fish underwater.  It is a simplification toward a more distilled meaning of a fish.  Our human perception is able to strip away surface detail and realize that this is an abstract version of a real living fish.  Although abstract images don't always need to connect with representation, in this case it does.  Even with certain off characteristics, we can define this image as a fish and know where it derives from.